United States threatens South Africa with more ‘severe consequences’ to come
The United States’ ambassador to South Africa, Brent Bozell, says his country is planning further action against South Africa, following the announcement of a new visa restriction policy.
On Wednesday, 16 September, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced visa restrictions on South Africans.
These specifically target individuals “who are responsible for, or complicit in, the enactment or implementation” of policies the US deems “egregious”.
Bozell followed up the announcement, saying that the visa restrictions are only the first part of the United States’ measures against South Africa.
He said the United States is moving on from endless discourse and is now taking action.
“This visa restriction policy is only the first step in a series of escalatory measures that will show America’s firm resolve in this matter,” he said.
Bozell said the measures were being taken as the US was not satisfied with the outcomes of previous discussions between the two countries.
“The time for endless ‘dialogue’ has run its course. No more. America has just so much patience. We want strong, and lasting relations with the South African government.”
“It needs to show it wants the same. So far, it has shown it cares for neither. As a result, the consequences, as I’ve attempted time and again to express, are necessarily going to be severe.”
Bozell did not elaborate on what further actions or consequences may be.
South Africa’s policies in the crosshairs
The visa restrictions imposed on South Africa stem from policies such as Black Economic Empowerment and land expropriation without compensation.
In his statement, Rubio highlighted both BEE and land expropriation laws and said that South Africa had not done enough to adequately address the US’s concerns regarding them.
In March 2026, Bozell outlined five “asks” directed to the South African government regarding these policies.
These aligned with similar demands relayed to local delegations to the United States in June 2025.
They include:
- Protecting rural communities from violence, referring to the globally publicised farm attacks. In 2025, the US wanted this to become a priority crime focus.
- Condemning rhetoric that incites hatred and glorifies violence, referring to the infamous “kill the boer” chant. The US wants the government to publicly condemn this.
- Ensuring appropriation policies include fair and clear compensation standards, referring to the government’s move to normalise “nil” compensation in new expropriation laws.
- Ending mandatory surrender of ownership or control of corporate decision-making as a cost of one’s own business, referring to South Africa’s strict BEE policies.
- Ending its association with Iran and enemies of the United States and becoming a non-aligned state as it purports to be.
At the time, Bozell said that addressing these issues was “achievable, practical and beneficial to both Americans and South Africans”.
However, he also noted that Pretoria had left Washington hanging on the matter for over a year, and warned that patience was running thin.
“We believe that it becomes a statement by the South African government when it doesn’t want to respond to simple questions that we have,” he said.
The office of the presidency confirmed only last week (11 September) that it was still drafting a response to the questions.
Rubio and Bozell have now made it clear that time is up.
“The United States remains gravely concerned about racially motivated crime and government-sponsored discrimination occurring against the Afrikaners and other minority populations in South Africa,” Rubio said.
“We once again strongly urge the South African government to quickly address these egregious actions.”
South Africa has previously dismissed claims from the US that its laws are discriminatory against Afrikaners.
It has also characterised farm murders as a symptom of South Africa’s wider issues with violent crime, pointed to court rulings defending the protected speech of “kill the boer”, and defended its non-aligned status.
The government has also insisted that its expropriation laws are similar to those codified in other countries—although the “nil compensation” aspect of the laws is currently being challenged in court.
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